Work, Not Whining: Police Chief Stauffiger Holds the Line

Town of Tonawanda Police Chief James Stauffiger is engaged in a labor dispute with the local police union, which represents approximately 90 officers. The union is led by Officer Andy Thompson, its elected president.

And front and center? Officer Bikramjit Singh resigned in February following disciplinary action from the Chief, who accused him of lying about his handling of potential evidence.

This was not Singh’s first disciplinary matter. In 2015, he had been reprimanded for placing bumper stickers on a fellow officer’s locker, which required repairs to remove.

In 2018, Officer Singh misplaced a department-issued Intoximeter device valued at approximately $1,000. The device was never recovered.

Later, he was involved in two vehicular incidents: rear-ending a civilian vehicle at a stop sign and, days later, backing into a patrol car in the department’s parking lot.

On January 3, 2019, Officer Singh initiated a high-speed pursuit of a suspect who was only wanted for a traffic infraction. The chase occurred in violation of the town’s no-chase policy.

The roads were ice-slick. But Singh didn’t slow down. He never caught the man. But he could have caught a tree. They didn’t suspend him—just another warning.

The Thin Blue Line

In 2018, Officer Singh entered the competitive selection process for the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The process required participation in twelve intensive training sessions. Completion of the sessions did not guarantee selection.

On January 19, 2019, at approximately 11:40 p.m., an SUV ran a stop at a Tonawanda intersection and struck an Uber vehicle, injuring the driver and two passengers. Officer Howard Scholl III, a SWAT leader, drove the SUV. He left a SWAT party with a drink still warming his breath and a badge in his pocket.

And stepping into the night came Singh, not quite on duty for the midnight shift, but close enough to take the call. He waved off the others. No one asked why. No one needed to. A textbook example of a cover-up in progress. Neat, clean, and stupid.

Singh notified the on-duty captain that Scholl was involved in a collision after departing a SWAT party.

Howard Scholl and wife Aimee.

The Ol’ Switcheroo

The captain instructed Singh to “put him on the box,” the department’s shorthand for administering a breathalyzer. If it was determined that Scholl was under the influence of alcohol, department protocol required his arrest. Singh did not put him on the box – he did not test him. A few moments later, Singh contacted the captain to change the story.

Singh said that Scholl had not been driving the vehicle. Instead, he claimed Scholl’s wife, Aimee, had been the driver. Despite indicators of impairment, Aimee Scholl was also not tested, and Singh allowed her to drive Scholl in the damaged vehicle home.

SWAT-Elusive

Maybe Singh thought he’d bought himself a seat at the SWAT table. But the Uber driver saw. So did the paramedic. Howard had been behind the wheel. Not Aimee.

When Internal Affairs came calling, the cover cracked wide open. 

Then-Assistant Chief James Stauffiger recommended termination for Singh and Scholl. Chief Jerome Uschold declined to follow that recommendation. Singh received a two-day suspension without pay.

The cover-up might have remained low profile if Scholl had not submitted an insurance claim, swearing his wife was the driver. That falsehood triggered a felony fraud charge. The Town Board, furious over the department’s exposure, compelled Chief Jerome Uschold to resign.

Assistant Chief James Stauffiger, a former Marine, assumed leadership of the Town of Tonawanda Police Department in October 2019.

One of his initiatives was enforcing the department’s dress and grooming code. Officers were required to wear hats while on duty, shave beards, and conceal tattoos. Some officers were displeased with the change.

The union elected Officer Andy Thompson as its new president, running on a platform opposing Stauffiger’s policies.

Police Union Andy Thompson did not want to wear a police officer’s hat when in uniform. He fought the chief over that. Some said he preferred a tiarra.

Under Thompson, complaints multiplied. Everything became a battleground. Thompson knew how to make everything a crisis. Every issue became a hill to die on.

There was a dispute with the lieutenants. The officers, assigned a private room equipped with a television, were spending excessive time in the soft light, faces slack, the flicker of the TV in their little man cave, when they were supposed to be on the streets.

Chief Stauffiger entered the lieutenants’ office and disconnected the HDMI cables from their televisions.

A garbled report reached Town Supervisor Joseph Emminger, alleging that the chief had “smashed” the department’s television sets. Emminger conducted an inspection and found only dark screens and unplugged cables.

Work Not TV

On another occasion, Chief Stauffiger coming in like Patton, reprimanded an officer assigned to front desk duty for watching daytime television on his phone. The Chief ordered the device turned off and warned that he would be assigned duties if the officer had no tasks to perform. The interaction reportedly left the officer demoralized. Not physical pain—soul damage.

Patrol Not Snooze

In another incident, an officer was discovered parked behind a firehouse when he was supposed to be patrolling. When questioned, he stated he was “waiting for a call.” The Chief responded, “That’s a stupid thing to say,” and ordered him to resume patrol duties. The officer didn’t argue. He just broke down emotionally and went for a tissue.

Officer Nick Lund, known for his aggressive, violent policing style, had been mandated to undergo de-escalation training. The union, bent on undermining reform, named Lund “Officer of the Year” in 2024.

Chief Stauffiger briefly left the room during the award ceremony, returning mid-applause. Lund interpreted the timing as a deliberate slight. He did not think the chief clapped loud enough.

He later  accused the chief of jealousy—both for his policing record and his private landscaping business.

Singh Gets Back in the Limelight

Reenter Officer Singh.

On November 1, 2024, Singh responded to a vandalism complaint involving a broken window. Home security footage revealed two women at the scene—one breaking the glass, the other placing a plastic bottle under the porch. Singh recovered the bottle. He cut it open. It contained a bag. Singh omitted mention of both the second woman and the bottle in his report.

Following a complaint from a homeowner and review of body camera footage, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department opened an internal investigation into Singh. Singh claimed the bag contained only pieces of plastic and discarded it in the garbage can in the police garage.

Surveillance footage showed he did not throw the bag in the garbage can in the police garage.

The woman in the back apartment where the incident occurred cleared up the rest: “That bag had $40 of crack.”

Discipline of Singh Leads to an Explosion

On January 14, Chief Stauffiger accused Singh of misconduct, incompetence, and false reporting and suspended Singh.  The next day, the union police officers initiated what appeared to be an unofficial ticket-writing strike. Over 22 days, traffic citations dropped to their lowest level in 25 years.

Police union president Andy Thompson took it further. He escalated his campaign against Chief  Stauffiger, with a public call for the Chief’s removal in an interview with The Buffalo News.

“We need the Town Board to make a decision to move on and get us a leader that is going to change this department,” Thompson said.

His efforts expanded to oust the chief included a public relations firm, social media outreach, a website, StauffigerHasToGo.com, and lawn signs.

The Town Board reacted and labeled the “ticket strike,” a violation of the Taylor Law, which prohibits public employees from engaging in strikes. The police union denied any organized work stoppage.

Thompson continued to amplify his campaign against Chief Stauffiger, appearing regularly on WBEN Radio 930’s David Bellavia Show. Thompson denied any knowledge of a ticket stoppage, stating the union only learned of the alleged slowdown through media reports.

 He defended Officer Singh as a “good man” and dismissed the charges against him as “nonsense.” He said the Chief is the problem. Not the guy who dumped crack. Not the guy who lied.

The Town Fights Back

The Town began enforcing financial penalties against officers involved in the suspected ticket-writing slowdown, issuing paycheck deductions as fines.

Meanwhile, the union is under investigation by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), which will determine whether the union’s legal status should be suspended for a year.

Singh Makes Fateful Decision

During his suspension, Singh was offered reinstatement by the Town of Tonawanda under specific conditions: a 30-day unpaid suspension followed by a reassignment to front desk duties rather than patrol.

Union president Andy Thompson had cast Singh as a victim of excessive disciplinary action and a symbol of resistance to what he characterizes as unnecessary departmental reform.

“It’s about fighting,” Thompson said. “About holding on.”

Singh declined the town’s offer. He thought he could find another town. Another badge.

As Thompson said, this was about principle.

So Singh gave up his $90,000-a-year job.

What followed was inevitable. Public records. Internal files. Media coverage. No department would touch him. 

New Work for Singh

According toThompson, Singh is now assisting with union mailings, and fellow officers have contributed small donations. A meat raffle is also being organized to raise additional funds. Twenty dollars here, twenty there. Enough for gas. Maybe lunch.

He used to wear a badge. Now he licks envelopes.

Thompson called Singh a hero. But the only thing left to win is meat. Somewhere, there’s a cold steak waiting to honor a man who once carried a badge and now carries stamps. And nothing says union support like frozen kielbasa.

And Thompson’s still out there pretending this is a revolution

Chief Holds His Ground

And the Chief? The Chief stayed. The Chief will not run. He has work. He will do it.

That guy’s made of granite and gunpowder. You don’t scare him with a meat raffle.

They think the Chief will quit. But they forgot—he’s the only one not playing a game. He’s just doing his job.

The union can yell, lie, boycott, and smear all they want. If they think they’re going to shame a Marine out of doing his job, they’ve picked the wrong target. You don’t scare a guy like that with rumors.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about the job. And he’s still doing it.

Frank Parlato

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.

Frank Parlato

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.

See Full Bio